"I am the crane you once rescued, "she said. "But now that you know, I may no longer stay here with you." [Gradually the young man's wife turned into a bird]

She ran out the door on her slender crane legs, gave a tiny jump and flew off into the evening sky. As the crane circled higher and higher in the twilight glow, the young man thought he heard a sad call, "Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye."

-From The Crane Wife, A Japanese folk-tale